Digital imaging ophthalmoscope

ABSTRACT

An opthalmoscope. Implementations include a handle coupled to a head where the head includes a front section coupled with a diopter wheel and the front section includes a view window. A back section fixedly attached to the front section includes a diopter number viewer, a trigger button, and a digital imaging section. The digital imaging section may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The trigger button may be adjacent to the handle and may be positioned opposite the front section between the handle and the LCD screen. The back section may include a rounded projection rotatably coupled with a central hole in the diopter wheel extending from a diopter surface substantially parallel with and in close proximity to the diopter wheel. The diopter number viewer may extend from the diopter surface away from the diopter wheel and may include an opening configured to expose a diopter number.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

Aspects of this document relate generally to imaging devices, such asopthalmoscopes.

2. Background Art

Conventionally, opthalmoscopes are used to observe the rear of the eye,particularly the structures of the retina. A discussion of conventionalopthalmoscope components, structure, and uses may be found in U.S. Pat.No. 3,948,585 to Heine, et al., entitled “Opthalmoscope ExaminationPattern Having Slit and Surrounding Ring,” issued Apr. 6, 1976, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference.

SUMMARY

Implementations of digital imaging opthalmoscopes like those disclosedin this document may include a handle coupled to a head where the headincludes a front section coupled with a diopter wheel and the frontsection includes a view window. A back section fixedly attached to thefront section may also be included where the back section includes adiopter number viewer, a trigger button, and a digital imaging section.The digital imaging section may include a liquid crystal display (LCD)screen and may be adapted to display an object in the field of view ofthe view window on the LCD screen. The trigger button may be adjacent tothe handle and may be positioned opposite the front section between thehandle and the LCD screen. The back section may include a roundedprojection rotatably coupled with a central hole in the diopter wheelwhere the rounded projection extends from a diopter surface in the backsection substantially parallel with and in close proximity to thediopter wheel. The diopter number viewer may extend from the dioptersurface away from the diopter wheel and may include an openingconfigured to expose a diopter number on the diopter wheel.

Implementations of opthalmoscopes may include one, all, or any of thefollowing:

The diopter number may permit light from a light source included in thehandle to illuminate the diopter number.

The digital imaging section may be configured to digitally zoom theimage of the object displayed on the LCD screen.

The digital imaging section may be configured to store one or moreimages of the object in the field of view of the view window in memoryassociated with the digital imaging section when the trigger button ispressed.

The digital imaging section may be configured to allow annotations to becaptured and stored in the memory for the one or more stored images ofthe object.

The digital imaging section may further include one or more image reviewbuttons, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and an external switch.

Implementations of a head for a digital imaging opthalmoscope mayinclude a front section having a view window and fixedly attached to aback section. The front section and back section may include an imageaxis where the view window of the front section lies on the image axisand the back section further includes a diopter wheel including aplurality of diopters. Each diopter may be configured to align with theimage axis through rotation of the diopter wheel. A doublet lens may beincluded and located on the image axis and configured to focus an imageof an object in the field of view of the view window on a photosensorlocated on the image axis which is included in a digital imaging sectionincluded in the back section. A rounded projection may be included whichis rotatably coupled with a central hole in the diopter wheel where therounded projection extends from a diopter surface in the back sectionsubstantially parallel with and in close proximity to the diopter wheel.A diopter number viewer may be included that extends from the dioptersurface away from the diopter wheel and includes an opening configuredto expose a diopter number on the diopter wheel. The digital imagingsection may be configured to use the photosensor to create a digitalimage of the object and to display the digital image on a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) screen included in the digital imaging section and tostore one or more images of the object in memory associated with thedigital imaging section when a trigger button located adjacent to thediopter number viewer is pressed.

Implementations of a head for a digital imaging opthalmoscope mayinclude one, all, or any of the following:

The diopter number viewer may permit light from a light source includedin the handle to illuminate the diopter number.

The digital imaging section may be configured to digitally zoom theimage of the object displayed on the LCD screen.

The digital imaging section may further include one or more image reviewbuttons, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and an external switch.

A portion of the viewing axis between the plurality of diopters and thedoublet lens may be a nearly infinite corrected path.

The digital imaging section may be configured to allow annotations to becaptured and stored in the memory for the one or more stored images ofthe object.

In an opthalmoscope with a handle and a front section including a viewwindow, an improvement may include a back section fixedly attached tothe front section where the back section includes a digital imagingsection. The digital imaging section may include a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) screen and may be adapted to display an object in thefield of view of the view window on the LCD screen. The digital imagingsection may include one or more imaging review buttons and a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) port. A trigger button may be included adjacent to thehandle and positioned opposite the front section between the handle andthe LCD screen. A diopter number viewer may extend away from a diopterwheel located between the front section and the back section and mayextend from a diopter surface included in the back section where thediopter surface is substantially parallel with and in close proximity tothe diopter wheel. The diopter number viewer may include an openingconfigured to expose a diopter number on the diopter wheel and thediopter number viewer may be configured to permit light emitted from thehandle to illuminate the diopter number.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will beapparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from theDESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations will hereinafter be described in conjunction with theappended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of an implementation of anopthalmoscope;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an implementation of anopthalmoscope showing sectional line A;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along sectional line A in FIG. 2with portions of structure removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a rear detail view of an implementation of an opthalmoscopeshowing an implementation of a digital imaging section;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded front view of an implementation of anopthalmoscope;

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded rear view of an implementation of anopthalmoscope.

DESCRIPTION

This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to thespecific components or assembly procedures disclosed herein. Manyadditional components and assembly procedures known in the artconsistent with the intended digital imaging opthalmoscope and/orassembly procedures for a digital imaging opthalmoscope will becomeapparent for use with particular implementations from this disclosure.Accordingly, for example, although particular implementations aredisclosed, such implementations and implementing components may compriseany shape, size, style, type, model, version, measurement,concentration, material, quantity, and/or the like as is known in theart for such digital imaging opthalmoscopes and implementing components,consistent with the intended operation.

Referring to FIG. 1, an implementation of a digital imagingopthalmoscope (hereinafter “opthalmoscope”) 2 is illustrated. Theopthalmoscope 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a direct opthalmoscope; however,other opthalmoscope types and sizes, such as indirect types or miniatureopthalmoscopes, may also utilize the principles disclosed in thisdocument. In addition, the principles disclosed in this document couldbe applied to other endoscope types, such as otoscopes andlaryngoscopes. The opthalmoscope 2 includes a handle 4 that includes alight source and may in various implementations contain variousapertures selectable by a user with an aperture wheel. Any of a widevariety of conventional opthalmoscope handle designs utilizing variouslight sources and related structures may be employed, such as, bynon-limiting example, incandescent light sources, halogen light sources,and any other source of light. In particular implementations, a lightemitting diode (LED) light source may be utilized, which may be pulsed.The opthalmoscope 2 also includes a head 6 that has a front section 8fixedly attached to a back section 10. As used in this document,“fixedly attached” means coupled using any type of fastener, such as, bynon-limiting example, a screw, pin, glue, or other structure that joinstwo pieces.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the back section 10 includes a digital imagingsection 12 that includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen 14. Thedigital imaging section 12 and the LCD screen 14 are adapted to displayimages of objects (such as the interior structure of a patient's eye)that are in the field of view of the opthalmoscope 2. A diopter wheel 16is also included that in particular implementations may be part of theback section 10 and in other implementations may be considered to belocated between the back section 10 and the front section 8. The diopterwheel 16 rotates within the opthalmoscope 2 and contains a plurality ofdiopters, which are corrective and/or magnifying lenses that adjust theimage being viewed by the opthalmoscope 2. Each of the diopters may havea specific number associated with it included on the diopter wheel 16,and that number is visible through a diopter number viewer 18 includedin the back section 10. As illustrated, the diopter number viewer 18includes a hole 20 through which the particular number of the diopterbeing used is made visible. In particular implementations, light fromthe handle may be directed into the diopter number viewer 18 toilluminate the diopter number on the diopter wheel 16 and enable it tobe visible through hole 20.

The back section 10 also includes a trigger switch 22 located adjacentto the handle 4 and opposite the front section 8. The trigger switch 22is also adjacent to the diopter number viewer 18. A wire 24 may beincluded in particular implementations of opthalmoscopes 2 to carrypower from the handle 4 to the digital imaging section 12. In someimplementations, the wire 24 may be routed outside the handle 4 asshown. In other implementations, the wire 24 may be routed internallywithin the handle 4 and head 6. In particular implementations, therouting may take place through use of a coupling adapter between thehandle and the head. In some implementations, backup or primary powersources may be directly included in the digital imaging section 12itself, such as through the use of batteries or other stored powersources.

Referring to FIG. 2, a front perspective view of the opthalmoscope 2 ofFIG. 1 is illustrated, showing the sectional line A. As shown, the frontsection 8 includes a view window 26 that allows light from the handle 4to exit the opthalmoscope 2 and reflected light from the object beingviewed (such as the retina of a patient) to enter, provided the objectis in the field of view of the view window 26. Also as illustrated, thefront section 8 and handle 4 for particular implementations ofopthalmoscopes 2 may be assembled from a conventional opthalmoscope 2,such as one manufactured by Welch Allyn Corporation of SkaneatelesFalls, N.Y. In other implementations, the opthalmoscope 2 may beconstructed using all new parts.

Referring to FIG. 3, a cross sectional view along sectional line A ofthe implementation of an opthalmoscope 2 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 isillustrated. Some of the components (such as the cover over the digitalimaging section 12) have been removed from the cross section to enablebetter visibility of particular components. As illustrated, a viewingaxis 28 may exist within the opthalmoscope 2. Light from the view window26 may pass through one of the plurality of diopters 30 in the diopterwheel 16. The light may then pass through a doublet lens 32 supportedwithin a lens tube 34 and secured by a lens holder 36. The doublet lens32 focuses the light on a photosensor 38 that converts the light to adigital image. The photosensor 38 is associated with one or more circuitboards 40 and memory 42 which receive the digital image and process itusing one or more processors so that it can be displayed on the LCDscreen 14. In the implementation illustrated in FIG. 3, the opticalconfiguration of the doublet lens 32, the lens tube 34, and thephotosensor 38 may create a nearly infinite corrected path along theportion of the viewing axis between the doublet lens 32 and theplurality of diopters 30. By nearly infinite corrected path is meant anoptical path of about 20 meters, which, given the size of the pluralityof diopters 30, is a very large separation distance. Accordingly, inparticular implementations, the actual distance between the plurality ofdiopters 30 and the doublet lens 32 is not critical, and can be closeror substantially infinitely far away while retaining the ability tofocus the image being received at the view window 26.

A wide variety of components may be utilized in various implementationsof opthalmoscopes 2. For example, while a doublet lens is utilized inthe implementation illustrated in FIG. 3, a single lens or othercombination of lenses could be used. For the exemplary purposes of thisdisclosure, the photosensor may be a Video Graphics Array (VGA) imagesensor manufactured by Omnivision Technologies, Inc. of Santa Clara,Calif. The LCD screen may be a screen manufactured by Displaytech, Ltd.,of ChangAn, GuangDong, China distributed by SEAComp, Inc. of Carlsbad,Calif. A wide variety of other components may be included inimplementations of digital imaging sections 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, a rear detail view of an opthalmoscope 2 isillustrated. Around and/or adjacent to the LCD screen 14, a plurality ofimage review buttons 44, 46, 48, 50 are located. Each of the imagereview buttons 44, 46, 48, 50 may perform a single or multiplefunctions. For example, the image review buttons 44, 46 may allow a userto select which of a plurality of stored images will be displayed on theLCD screen 14. Either or both of image review buttons 48 or 50 mayimplement a digital zoom function within the digital imaging section 12that allows the image displayed on the LCD screen 14 to be magnifieddigitally using any of a wide variety of conventional methods withoutrequiring any optical movement. The plurality of image review buttons44, 46, 48, and 50 may enable many other desired functions andcapabilities of the digital imaging section 12 such as, by non-limitingexample, adding marks to the image(s) to identify the image as beingfrom the right or left eye, changing brightness, changing contrast,changing date stamps visible on the image, adding text to the image, orany other desired image adjustment, annotation, or optimizationfunction. Among these may be enabling the capturing and storing ofannotations made to an image displayed on the LCD screen 14. Theannotations may be handwritten or placed by a user's hand and may beentered using a stylus, finger, or any other man-machine interactioninterface. Any of a wide variety of systems and methods for capturingand storing the annotations may be utilized in particularimplementations, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,871 toPiety et al., entitled “Portable Digital Infrared Thermography System,”issued Jun. 10, 1997 or U.S. Patent Application Publication No.20020051262 to Nuttall et al., entitled “Image Capture Device withHandwritten Annotation,” published May 2, 2002, the disclosures of whichare hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference. In implementationsof opthalmoscopes 2 utilizing annotating of images, the LCD screen 14may also include touch sensing capabilities or utilize other stylustracking systems and/or methods. The annotations may be stored as partof the images in memory or may be stored separately from the images inmemory.

Implementations of trigger buttons 22 may be utilized in combinationwith implementations of digital imaging sections 12 to enable recordingof live and/or static images being displayed on the LCD screen 14. Toaccomplish this, a user may ensure that a desired image is beingdisplayed on the LCD screen 14 and then press the trigger button 22.Various messages may be displayed on the LCD screen 14 regarding whetherthe user desires to save the image or not and the image review buttons44, 46, 48, and 50 may be also be involved in the specific steps ofstoring the image. The images may be stored to the memory 42 internal tothe digital imaging section 12 and/or they may be saved to an externalstorage device. In particular implementations, a Universal Serial Bus(USB) port may be included in a surface of the digital imaging section12 which may allow transfer and/or storage of images to a storage devicesuch as a memory stick, external hard drive or other desired storagedevice or transfer of live video to another display or storage device.In particular implementations, the digital imaging section 12 mayinclude an external switch that may perform a variety of functionsincluding, by non-limiting example, turning off the LCD screen,adjusting the brightness of the LCD screen, changing a mode of operationof the digital imaging section 12, or any other desired function. A widevariety of other input/output connector types may also be included inparticular implementations, such as, by non-limiting example, FireWire®,Red Green Blue (RGB) outputs, Recommended Standard (RS)-232 serialinterfaces, wireless interfaces, Bluetooth® interfaces, or any otherwired or wireless interface adapted to transmit data from the digitalimaging section to another device.

Referring to FIG. 5, a partially exploded front view of theimplementation of an opthalmoscope 2 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated. Asillustrated, the exploded portions are those of the back section 10showing the digital imaging section 12, the doublet lens 32/lens tube34/lens holder 36 assembly, and a portion 52 of the back section 10 thatfixedly attaches to the front section 8. As illustrated, the portion 52of the back section 10 includes a rounded projection 54 that extendsfrom a diopter surface 56 that is substantially parallel to the diopterwheel 16 and is close proximity to the diopter surface 56 when theopthalmoscope 2 is assembled. The rounded projection 54 rotatablycouples with a central hole 58 in the diopter 16. As illustrated, thediopter number viewer 18 extends from the diopter surface 56 away fromthe diopter wheel 16, which makes it appear raised from the surface ofthe portion 52 of the back section 10 when viewed from the rear, as isillustrated in FIG. 6. Also illustrated in the partially exploded rearview of the opthalmoscope 2 of FIG. 6 is the position of the hole 20that allows viewing of diopter numbers (not shown) associated with theplurality of diopters 30 on the diopter wheel 16 during operation.

Implementations of LCD screens like those disclosed in this document maybe directly attached to the head or digital imaging section, or may befixedly attached through use of a hinge that allows the LCD screen to bemoved in any desired orientation relative to the head. Inimplementations where the LCD screen can be moved using a hinge, aviewfinder may be exposed when the LCD screen is moved that allows auser of the opthalmoscope to use his or her eye directly, and thenutilize the trigger button or other buttons to save an image of what isbeing viewed. In particular implementations, this may take place bysplitting the image and sending a copy to the LCD screen and a copy tothe user's eye; in other implementations, splitting of the image may notbe used. In some implementations, image display may take place using aseparate wired or wirelessly connected device, and images and/or realtime video of what is being observed may be made available for viewingon external displays, such as a projector, television, or computerdisplay. Such implementations may be useful in teaching situations toenable the students to see what the user of the opthalmoscope is viewingsimultaneously. In other implementations, a viewfinder may be includedthat allows a user to use his or her eye directly without requiringmovement/adjustment of the LCD screen.

In places where the description above refers to particularimplementations of digital imaging opthalmoscopes, it should be readilyapparent that a number of modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit thereof and that these implementations may be applied toother digital imaging opthalmoscope implementations.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An opthalmoscope comprising: a handlecoupled to a head, wherein the head comprises: a front section coupledwith a diopter wheel, the front section including a view window; and aback section fixedly attached to the front section, the back sectioncomprising a diopter number viewer, a trigger button, and a digitalimaging section, the digital imaging section comprising a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) screen and adapted to display an object in a field of viewof the view window on the LCD screen; wherein the trigger button isadjacent to the handle and positioned opposite the front section betweenthe handle and the LCD screen; and wherein the back section comprises arounded projection rotatably coupled with a central hole in the diopterwheel, the rounded projection extending from a diopter surface in theback section substantially parallel with and in close proximity to thediopter wheel; and wherein the diopter number viewer extends from thediopter surface away from the diopter wheel and comprises an openingconfigured to expose a diopter number on the diopter wheel.
 2. Theopthalmoscope of claim 1, wherein the diopter number viewer permitslight from a light source included in the handle to illuminate thediopter number.
 3. The opthalmoscope of claim 1, wherein the digitalimaging section is configured to digitally zoom an image of the objectdisplayed on the LCD screen.
 4. The opthalmoscope of claim 1, whereinthe digital imaging section is configured to store one or more images ofthe object in the field of view of the view window in memory associatedwith the digital imaging section when the trigger button is pressed. 5.The opthalmoscope of claim 4, wherein the digital imaging section isconfigured to allow annotations to be captured and stored in the memoryfor the one or more stored images of the object.
 6. The opthalmoscope ofclaim 1, wherein the digital imaging section further comprises one ormore image review buttons, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and anexternal switch.
 7. A head for an opthalmoscope comprising: a frontsection including a view window and fixedly attached to a back section,the front section and back section comprising a viewing axis where theview window of the front section lies on the viewing axis and the backsection further comprises: a diopter wheel comprising a plurality ofdiopters, each diopter being configured to align with the viewing axisthrough rotation of the diopter wheel; a doublet lens located on theviewing axis, the doublet lens being configured to focus an image of anobject in a field of view of the view window on a photosensor located onthe viewing axis and included in a digital imaging section comprised inthe back section; a rounded projection rotatably coupled with a centralhole in the diopter wheel, the rounded projection extending from adiopter surface in the back section substantially parallel with and inclose proximity to the diopter wheel; and a diopter number viewerextending from the diopter surface away from the diopter wheel andincluding an opening configured to expose a diopter number on thediopter wheel; wherein the digital imaging section is configured to usethe photosensor to create a digital image of the object and to displaythe digital image on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen included inthe digital imaging section and to store one or more images of theobject in memory associated with the digital imaging section when atrigger button located adjacent to the diopter number viewer is pressed.8. The head of claim 7, wherein the diopter number viewer permits lightfrom a light source included in the handle to illuminate the diopternumber.
 9. The head of claim 7, wherein the digital imaging section isconfigured to digitally zoom the digital image of the object displayedon the LCD screen.
 10. The head of claim 7, wherein the digital imagingsection further comprises one or more image review buttons, a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) port, and an external switch.
 11. The head of claim 7,wherein a portion of the viewing axis between the plurality of dioptersand the doublet lens is a nearly infinite corrected path.
 12. The headof claim 7, wherein the digital imaging section is configured to allowannotations to be captured and stored in the memory for the one or morestored images of the object.
 13. In an opthalmoscope having a handle anda front section with a view window, the improvement comprises: a backsection fixedly attached to the front section, the back sectioncomprising: a digital imaging section, the digital imaging sectioncomprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and adapted to displayan object in a field of view of the view window on the LCD screen, thedigital imaging section including one or more image review buttons and aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) port; a trigger button adjacent to the handleand positioned opposite the front section between the handle and the LCDscreen; and a diopter number viewer extending away from a diopter wheellocated between the front section and the back section, the diopternumber viewer extending from a diopter surface included in the backsection where the diopter surface is substantially parallel with and inclose proximity to the diopter wheel; wherein the diopter number viewercomprises an opening configured to expose a diopter number on thediopter wheel and the diopter number viewer is configured to permitlight emitted from the handle to illuminate the diopter number.